DOZENS OF POT HOLDERS

     And they all need pressing. I no longer have a full-size iron. When the last iron quit working I did not replace it. What do I need an iron for?

    I do have a 'travel' iron, a small iron only about five inches in length. Why anyone would weigh their luggage down with even a small 'travel' iron is beyond me. I bought it for pressing small things, like pressing the seams on a quilting project. Not that I am into quilting, but I do think about it from time to time

    I exaggerate. I only have a dozen and a half pot holders, but I have a lot less stash. I will have to seek permission, but I hope to 'sell' them at the next public gathering in promotion of Leavenworth Attainable Housing. For a donation for LAH, the donor can choose from the pot holders.

    From what I hear LAH housed 16 people, whether as families or as individuals I do not know, but I also heard there was no recidivism. Instead of passing laws that make homelessness illegal, cities should be encouraging programs like attainable housing.

    

I HATE TO ADMIT

     I'm crocheting.

    I hate to admit it, but I'm crocheting. Yes, I am. Not knitting.

    But I am trying use up part of my stash.

    I like to crochet what I call origami pot holders.

    You start with a row of chain stitches, crochet back on the starting row, and just keep crocheting. After a while you artfully fold the piece and you have a double-thick potholder. The yarn should sort of be the same weight -- well, fairly close -- and the colors can be anything you like, the wilder the better.

    Add new colors by knotting the end to a new color. Be sure the knotting occurs on the same side so the ends can be tucked inside. You don't have to weave them together with the finished product and they add more thickness to the pot holder. The size will depend on the length of the original chain.

    They are fun to make even if I have to admit I am crocheting.

THE SURPRISE IS ON ME

     I've knit this pattern before. Why is it causing me so many problems this time?

    Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. I've knit two of these jackets before, one for the daughter of a Japanese woman who married the son of a friend of mine. The couple were living in the United States at the time and I wanted the mother to have something that was typically American.

    On one of the jackets I even devised a way to create a garment with longer sleeves. The BSJ is a pattern that requires a lot of counting, but the result is spectacular.

    Well, excuse me, I have something I need to do . . . one . two . .  three . . . four . . . .

ONE STITCH TOO MANY

     Where did that stitch come from?

    It was one stitch too many.

    I used to laugh at the young woman in the first of Debbie Macomber's series of books centered on The Shop on Blossom Street. Her first knitting project was a scarf -- she kept finishing every row with the wrong number of stitches.

    A Baby Surprise Jacket, from Elizabeth Zimmerman's pattern, is an exercise in counting. At least for me. I have knit Baby Surprise Jackets before, but cannot now remember the details. You knit and knit and knit and finally achieve a relatively flat, oddly shaped piece of knitting. Then you sew two sections together to make the sleeves, and abracadabra, you have a baby sweater.

    But you have to keep counting the stitches. If you do not have the correct number of stitches, you have to froggit (I think that's the word, I should research it some time), back track until you have unknit back to a place where the count is correct. I've done a lot of unknitting on this project.

HAT FOR A BLIND PERSON

    The hat that I am currently working on is surely destined for a blind person.

    I started with some double-ply grey, and when that was knit up, I went to a combined black-brown. When I had knit up the black ply, I went to a grey. When I finish with the brown, I will probably go to a double-grey. Black-brown-grey, not the most attractive color combination. (Knitting up your stash can be overwhelming.)

    The most positive thing about this hat -- being a double-ply, it's heavier than some of the others and will no doubt be warmer. So in return for ignoring the bad color choices, the wearer gets a warmer hat. Hey, if the hat is on your head, you can't see the colors anyway.

    Repeating a previous post, I've forgotten how to activate the comment section, so if you have a burning need to comment on my color choices, email me at findreship@aol.com. You'll have to do this manually, I've also forgotten how to create a link. Sorry.

TWO EXTRA BALLS?

    Trying to knit up my stash.

    Too much stash can be overwhelming.

    Started to knit a hat with some multi-colored yarn. Thought I had two balls. Tried to keep them together even while I carried the project around, especially if I'm waiting in the car. Kept finding the second ball, kept putting it some place where I would be able to find it when I needed it. This morning I found the "second" ball near my upstairs recliner. Tried to think of where I could put it so I could find it when I needed it. Then, slowly, realized I had already joined the second ball to the project. I had two "second" balls.

    Knitting up the stash can be overwhelming.

    Added: I have forgotten how to activate the comment section, so I am going to add an email. I've forgotten also how to create an email link. Just send an email to friendshipfountain@yahoo.com .

ELIZABETH ZIMMERMAN'S BABY SURPRISE JACKET

     EZ's Baby Surprise Jacket is no mindless knitting project. You need to be attentive to every stitch, stitch by stitch.

    I decided to make a BSJ for a new cousin, due in March. A girl. Chose a medium and a dark pink yarn. I've made BSJs before, but it is a complicated pattern. Had a hard time getting the count right in the first few rows. Had to start over multiple times. Have to count every row. Sometimes more than twice. Maybe thrice. Maybe . . . 

    Once started, blessedly, knitting went rather smoothly, even switched colors to create the stripe effect.

    Until this afternoon. Let my mind wander. Thought about something else. Forgot which row I was on. Now I will have to wait for daylight tomorrow. Do some unknitting, which always takes more than twice/thrice the time to knit the rows in the first place.

    Glad the baby not due until March. Will that give me enough time?